Tongue device with pivotal connecting rails

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a tongue device with pivotal connecting rails for switch points which can be negotiated at high speeds free from vibrations and jolts in the branching track comprising base means, connecting rails of a main track and a branching-off track hingedly connected with each other and pivotally mounted on said base, means for pivoting said connecting rails, and wedge means adapted to be inserted in corresponding recesses in mutually adjoining tracks for closing the gaps in the two extensions of the inner rail edges.

[Jnited States Patent [1 1 Dohse et al.

[ TONGUE DEVICE WITH PIVOTAL CONNECTING RAILS [75] Inventors: RuthardDohse, Essen-Bredeney;

Curt Edeling, Essen-Reillinghausen; Josef Eisenmann, Munich, all ofGermany [73] Assignee: Elektro-Thermit GmbH, Berlin,

Germany [22] Filed: Oct. 15, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 189,605

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 22, 1970 Germany ..P 20 51882.5

[52] US. Cl 246/442, 246/379, 246/430 [51] Int. Cl. t. E0lb 7/00 [58]Field of Search 246/379, 430, 435,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Jones 246/430 11 3,745,336[451 July 10,1973

1,797,933 3/1931 Tuzzo 246/379 Primary Examiner-Drayton E. HoffmanAssistant Examiner-Richard A. Bertsch Attorney-James E. Bryan [5 7]ABSTRACT This invention relates to a tongue device with pivotalconnecting rails for switch points which can be negotiated at highspeeds free from vibrations and jolts in the branching track comprisingbase means, connecting rails of a main track and a branching-off trackhingedly connected with each other and pivotally mounted on said base,means for pivoting said connecting rails, and wedge means adapted to beinsertedtin corresponding recesses in mutually adjoining tracks forclosing the gaps in the two extensions of the inner rail edges.

7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures Patented July 10, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Patented July 10, 1973 3,745,336

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS RUTHARD DOHSE CURT EDELlNG J OSEF EISENMANNTONGUE DEVICE WITH PIVOTAL CONNECTING RAILS The present inventionrelates to a tongue device with pivotal connecting rails for switchpoints which can be traveled on or negotiated at the highest'speeds andunder great traffic loads in the branching-off track without vibrationsand jolts.

The prior art tongue devices in which the spring point is positioned inthe direction of or toward the frog point can be traveled on ornegotiated only up to a specific velocity in the branching-off track. Ifit is intended to increase the velocity, difficulties will arise inconnection with the construction of tongue devices of this type since,for reasons pertaining to traveling or operational safety, the radiusmust be very large. This in turn makes it necessary to provide for along thin tongue tip. A tongue tip of this kind having a length of morethan ap proximately meters is expensive to manufacture and shows greatwear and tear due to the high speeds, the great axle loads, and theguide forces. Only at considerable cost is it possibleto so change orconvert such a long tongue with the heretofore known devices that thedesired large radius is produced. Both of these disadvantages, i.e., thegreat wear and tear and the unevenly bent tongue, can lead tooperational hazards at the highest speeds and under great axial loads.

In connection with tongue devices it is known to provide the two tracksof the main or primary rail as tongues in the area of the entrance.Conversely, it is also possible to provide the connecting rails asspring tongues and to change or switch them in accordance with thedesired direction of traveLThe disadvantage of this particular tonguedevice isthat one gap each will be produced, depending upon the tongueposition, between the main or primary rail and the connecting railprovided as a tongue. These gaps will result in an unsteady running ofthe vehicle, particularly at high speeds and great axle loads, andresult in high maintenance costs. l

The present invention is based on the goal and object of changing orswitching the connecting rails provided as tongues in a manner suchthat, after the changing or switching operations, they will be eitheruniformly bent or straight, and of assuring that after the completedchange-over or switching operation the ends of the tongues and of thecontinuing tracks of the main or primary rail cannot move relative toeach other under the traffic load, and that continuous running railedges will be produced in the gap area.

This object is obtained, in accordance with the present invention, inthat the connecting rails of the main or primary rail and of thebranching rail are hingedly connected with each other in the front areaor portion thereof and are pivotally positioned by means of controlmembers on glide chairs with respect to the tongue device entrance ofthe main or primary rail, in that they are mounted on a continuous baseplate and adapted to be locked in a respective end position thereof, andin that the gaps between the ends of the connecting rails and the mainor primary rail tracks are closable in the two extensions of the inneror running edge of the rail by means of wedges which may be inserted incorresponding recesses of the mutually adjacent rails.

The ends of the connecting rails being provided as tongues, after havingassumed the respective end positions thereof, are braced on the baseplate relative to the ends of the main or primary rail, preferably withthe aid of mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatically-drivenclamping devices, so as to prevent relative movement of the rail ends onboth sides of the gap under a traffic load.

The ends of the connecting rails as well as the ends of the main orprimary rail are made, depending upon the stress thereon, preferablyfrom a high-strength, martensitically-hardened, ductile nickel steel andwelded to the corresponding rails. In this manner, room is provided forthe specifically constructed guides which maintain the wedges in thevertical and horizontal directions.

In order to achieve a vibration or jolt-free over-run of the wheels overthe area of the gaps, the wedges preferably should be so constructedthat in a top plan view thereof they have a trapezoidal contour, andthat the apices as well as the obtuse ends of the wedges are loweredslightly as compared to the tread of the rails. The end position of thewedges is adjustable for purposes of the setting and/or for taking intoaccount the subsequent wear and tear. The wedges are locked in the endposition thereof by means of an electrically, or pneumaticallyorhydraulically-driven locking or clamping mechanism. The gliding surfacesof the wedges and/or the guides are coated with a maintenance-free,friction-reducing, elastically-acting plastic layer such asperfluoroethylene. In order to meet the safety regulations, the controlrelative to the movement of the wedges and relative to the bracing orclamping of the movable connecting rails in the respective end positionthereof is coupled to or linked with the change-over or switching deviceof the connecting rails and any possibly existing movable parts of thefrog, preferably electronically. I

The advantages obtained with the aid of the present invention are that aconstruction of the tongue device such as proposed herein renders itpossible, in contrast to the prior art tongue devices, to travel on ornegotiate also the branching rail at high speeds and under great axleloads free from jolts and vibrations.

One embodiment of the present. invention will be further describedhereinafter, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, whereinFIG. 1 is a top plan view of the tongue device of the present invention,and 1 FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the left half of thetongue device taken on line A--A of FIG. 1.

The entire tongue device has been shown in FIG. 1 at a distorted scalefor reasons pertaining to space. In reality, the tongue'device designedfor highest speeds is considerably longer because of the required greatradius of the branching rail. 7

The tongue device consists of the continuous base 1 upon which theconnecting rails 2 to 5, which are constructed as tongues and arehingedly connected with each other in the front zone or portion thereofare pivotally positioned. The tracks of the main or primary rail 6 and 7are rigidly mounted on the base plate 1. The ends 8 to 11 of theconnecting rails 2 to 5 as well as the ends 12 and 13 of the tracks 6and 7 of the main or primary rail are preferably made from high-strengthsolid materialand are welded to the corresponding rails 2 to 7. Theconnecting rails 2 to 5 constructed as tongues are moved with the aid ofseveral mechanically, electrically, hydraulically, orpneumatically-driven control members 14 to 17.

For purposes of obtaining continuous inner or running rail edges at theimpact gaps 18 and 19 and for the purpose of locking the tongue ends 8and 10, and 9 and 11 in the respective end position thereof, the wedgesand 21, whose apices 22 and 23 and obtuse ends 24 and 25 are slightlylowered as compared to the surrounding traveling'surface, are insertedin the recesses 26'and 27 and 28 and 29 respectively, preferably withtheaid of pneumatic cylinders For example, the guides 30 and 31 and 32and 33 respectively, at the ends of the connecting rails 8 and 9 havebeen illustrated in FIG. 2 for the horizontal and vertical positiondetermination of the wedge 20.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many means forpivoting said connecting rails, and wedge means adapted to be insertedin corresponding recesses in mutually adjoining tracks for closing thegaps in the two extensions of the inner rail edges.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which the ends of the rails are madefrom high-strength, martensitically-hardened, ductile nickel steel andare welded to the rails.

3. A device according to claim 1 in which the wedge means have atrapezoidal configuration in top plan view and the apices and obtuseends thereof are slightly lower than the adjacent traveling surface.

4. A device according to claim 1 in which the end position of the wedgemeans is adjustable for setting purposes and to compensate for wear.

5. A device according to claim 1 in which the wedge means are adapted tobe locked in the end position thereof.

6. A device according to claim 1 in which the sliding surfaces of thewedge means are coated with a frictionreducing, elastically-actingplastic coating.

7. A device according to claim 1 in which the plastic coating isperfluoroethylene.

F ORM PD -1050 (IO-69) UNillED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTEFEQATE OFCORRECTION Patent No. 3,745,336 July 10, 1973 Dated Inventor(s) RuthardDohse et a1 It is certified that error appears in the above-identifiedpatent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 27, "axial" should read axle Column 3, line 24, "trach"should read track Column 4, line 1 of Claim 7, "claim 1' shouldread--claim6--.

Signed and sealed this 12th day ofv March 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. c. MARSHALL DANN A ttesting Officer Commissionerof Patents USCQMM-DC 6037q-P69 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 19690-366-334

1. A tongue device with pivotal connecting rails for switch points whichcan be negotiated at high speeds free from vibrations and jolts in thebranching track comprising base means, connecting rails of a main trackand a branching-off trach hingedly connected with each other andpivotally mounted on said base, means for pivoting said connectingrails, and wedge means adapted to be inserted in corresponding recessesin mutually adjoining tracks for closing the gaps in the two extensionsof the inner rail edges.
 2. A device according to claim 1 in which theends of the rails are made from high-strength, martensitically-hardened,ductile nickel steel and are welded to the rails.
 3. A device accordingto claim 1 in which the wedge means have a trapezoidal configuration intop plan view and the apices and obtuse ends thereof are slightly lowerthan the adjacent traveling surface.
 4. A device according to claim 1 inwhich the end position of the wedge means is adjustable for settingpurposes and to compensate for wear.
 5. A device according to claim 1 inwhich the wedge means are adapted to be locked in the end positionthereof.
 6. A device according to claim 1 in which the sliding surfacesof the wedge means are coated with a friction-reducing,elastically-acting plastic coating.
 7. A device according to claim 1 inwhich the plastic coating is perfluoroethylene.